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    HomeARC’s Investment Priorities for AppalachiaGrowing Economic Opportunities in Appalachia

        
	
Growing Economic Opportunities in Appalachia
	
			
	
				
	
	
	Entrepreneurship and business development are cornerstones of the Appalachian economy. Creating opportunity across a variety of existing and emerging industries and sectors helps communities increase their resilience during periods of transition. To fuel the Region’s economic expansion, ARC focuses on the entrepreneurial ecosystem by investing in, and nurturing the growth of, business technical assistance programs. These programs increase access to capital and offer other support services for Appalachia’s entrepreneurs in sectors like local food, agriculture, outdoor recreation, advanced forest products, small manufacturing and more. We also cultivate economic opportunities by investing in local and regional assets with growth potential to offer quality jobs for the Region’s workers.

ARC has supported small startups and internationally competitive manufacturing facilities; neighborhood retailers and global exporters; and emerging entrepreneurs and advanced business clusters. Each investment leverages additional support from public and private sector partners, propelling economic opportunities across the Region.




	



Investment Impact    
    
    Fiscal Year 2020      
              $32M
      
              Invested in 72 Projects											  


Fiscal Year 2020      
              16,332
      
              Jobs Created or Retained											  


Fiscal Year 2020      
              1,864
      
              Students and Workers Educated and Trained

Learn more about ARC’s Investment Process.





	


  
Enhancing the Reach and Competitiveness of Business and Industry
          
                      Historically, Appalachia’s strong manufacturing sector has offered significant potential for growth. That tradition continues as ARC investments develop networks and support innovative plans and processes to enhance the sector’s competitiveness.
However, helping local ventures and regional manufacturers produce high-demand goods and services is only part of the process. Connecting them with today’s global marketplace through export and other distribution strategies helps Appalachian businesses tap into national and global demand.





	


  
Strengthening Entrepreneurial Ecosystems for New and Existing Business
          
                      Characteristics of a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem include market access, capital, talent, business assistance, infrastructure, a supportive culture, and regulatory support. According to ***Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in Appalachia***, there are over a thousand entrepreneurial support services in the Region—each offering an important element to their local entrepreneurial ecosystem. By creating a supportive environment for entrepreneurs, communities can spur local and regional economic development; help the region diversify its economy; create jobs; and increase the flow of capital, finance, goods, and services into the Region.
          
                      Learn More





	


  
Building Economic Resilience in Appalachia
          
                      Preparing a community to absorb, resist, and recover from an economic shock—such as an economy-wide recession, industry restructuring, or other major economic disruptions like COVID-19—is the definition of economic resilience. ARC’s study ***Strengthening Economic Resilience*** offers quantitative analysis exploring factors that increase a community’s ability to buffer an economic shock, and a guidebook of case studies and suggested strategies for economic resilience at the community level.
          
                      Learn More






	

Investments in Action        Automotive Industry Drives the Economy in West Virginia
							
															The West Virginia Automotive Supply Chain Expo facilitates business-to-business networking to revitalize West Virginia’s economy.
							
															Learn More
											
																			2 men in blue polos working in an industrial setting
											
									Robert C. Byrd Institute Appalachian Hatchery





	



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      Sparking Innovation through Entrepreneurial Ecosystems Appalachian Regional Commission

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